CONCERNED parents have contacted the Standard about changes to home to school transport which they say will lead to them struggling to get their children to school.
Alterations to guidance which means local authorities have to limit the amount of fee-paying passengers on buses mean there could be less capacity on home to school transport.
One mum from Droitwich said it affected at least 23 pupils in the town and surrounding area and looked likely to have a similar effect in other towns and city across Worcestershire.
She said: “Children living in the catchment are allocated seats first which is fair. However the change in legislation has meant that now the county council can only ‘sell’ 20 per cent of the vacant seats.
“It means there will be empty seats on school buses while parents are now having to drive many unnecessary miles to take and pick up their children from school.
“When the Government is stating it wants the country to go net carbon zero it seems completely backwards it then passes legislation that discourages vehicle sharing.”
She used to pay around £500 per year for the school bus pass but to put alternative travel arrangements in place – such as private group coach – could cost families up to four times more – between £6.20 and £10 per day.
Worcestershire County Council says the changes will have no effect on pupils entitled to Home to School Transport under its current policy, which includes those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
But it added this year had seen a higher than normal increase in applications for Home to School transport from parents entitled to transport and from parents wishing to purchase vacancies available.
This has led to less capacity to offer those vacant seats under the discretionary scheme.
Seats which are available will not be confirmed until much later than usual – which could be from mid to late September – a fortnight after the term starts.
It added more than 90 per cent of all new and existing students had already had their school transport arrangements allocated.
And it claimed a small number – less than one per cent of all pupils – who had previously taken advantage of the Vacant Seats scheme had been unable to do so again this academic year.
Coun Marcus Hart, the county’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “This year’s changes in legislation and the increased take up of Home to School Transport mean that we aren’t able to offer as many vacant seats as we have previously.
“Our teams are working hard to ensure we are able to confirm seats that are available as early into the term as we can.”
The Worcestershire Transport Department is advising parents to ensure alternative travel arrangements are available in time for the start of the new academic term if they have not had a place on transport confirmed.
